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Duterte questions if Trudeau should be PM after helicopter deal cancelled

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, left, shakes hands with Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte in Manila in November 2017. The two world leaders have seen their relationship deteriorate since this international meeting. Photo from Getty Images.

The president of the Philippines is taking Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to task for his human rights concerns.

The outspoken Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte referenced the Canadian government while speaking about a botched deal for the Philippines to purchase a fleet of attack helicopters from Canada.

The story was first reported in Canada by Global News. In a video posted online Tuesday, the Filipino leader can be seen slamming Trudeau for allegedly not fully understanding the situation in the Philippines.

“For God’s sake, Mr. Trudeau. My own citizens are rebelling against us, killing my soldiers and policemen and civilians. And I cannot use the helicopter because they are citizens but they are out to overthrow my government,” an exasperated Duterte said.

“If you cannot understand, you should not be there in that mighty post of yours. Because you do not know the history of the world and geopolitics,” the president added.

The Southeast Asian country has been battling rebels and drug dealers for some time, but the conflict escalated in 2016 when Duterte won the presidency.

In January, Human Rights Watch released a report claiming more than 12,000 lives have been lost in the Philippines since the apparent “drug war” began in 2016. Critics say many of the reported executions have taken place without due process. In 2017, Amnesty International called Duterte a “human rights nightmare.”

The criticism hasn’t deterred Duterte, who mocked Trudeau and called him “corny” for his stance on the matter.

“This is a troubled world. It has always been a troubled world ever since,” Duterte said, adding internal and exterla forces are “making it hard” for Filipinos.

Joe Pickerill, a spokesman for International Trade Diversification Minister Jim Carr, told CTV News via email the statements made by the Filipino government earlier this year “remain deeply troubling.”

This isn’t the first time Duterte has expressed displeasure with his Canadian counterpart.

“My God, you Canadians, how stupid can you get? Our citizens are joining the ISIS so we have every right to kill our citizens because we do not want to destroy the community with apathy,” Duterte reportedly told local officials in Manila, as reported by GMA News, a network based in the Philippines.